Haunted
by Twigglet25
Summary: A Ron/Hermione song-fic to Haunted by Taylor Swift. All set from Hermione's point of view from Ron's departure to his return in Deathly Hallows.


Hi guys. This was written for Colourful Soul's Taylor Swift song-fic competition. I always thought this song fitted them perfectly and this competition gave me a chance to write so that more people can read it (and there are prizes up for grabs!)

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><p><em>You and I walk a fragile line<em>

_I have known it all this time__  
><em>_But I never thought I'd live to see it break_

Hermione had always realised her and Ron fought a lot, there was always some sort of tension between them. Since they were eleven the petty arguments had grown bigger and bigger. Sometimes they exploded into stretched silences and sometimes they petered out into nothing. A fragile line between discordance and harmony. But in the end they always worked it out, however long it took, Hermione had believed that would always go on. She never thought she'd see everything break.

_It's getting dark and it's all so quiet and I can't trust anything now__  
><em>_And it's coming over you like it's all a big mistake_

Outside the rain fell from the cold, inky black sky, beating down like an ever present drum on the canvas of the tent. Hermione had always liked the sound of the rain, but now it was making her feel sick, it sounded like sinister applause to the drama unfolding inside the tent.

"We thought you knew what you were doing," Ron shouted, jumping to his feet and pointing at Harry threateningly. Hermione had never heard him yell like this, it sounded like pure hatred was pouring from his mouth. "We thought Dumbledore had told you what to do, we thought you had a real plan!"

Hermione could take it no longer. "Ron!" She called over the ever growing sound of the rain. He took no notice of her.

_Oh, holding my breath__  
><em>_Won't lose you again__  
><em>_Something's made your eyes go cold__  
><em>

"Are you staying, or what?"

Hermione stared at him, he was asking her to choose. How could he do this? Hermione looked at his eyes, which were normally so calm and comforting, now dark with anger. Instead of the sea on a warm day they were the deepest ocean in a storm. Hermione had to make a decision, her brain was screaming for her to stay and help Harry because that's what she had promised, but a small part of her close to her heart was telling her to go with Ron. To not lose the one she loved so much. She had to make a decision.

"I …" Stay or leave, stay or leave? "Yes – yes, I'm staying. Ron, we said we'd go with Harry, we said we'd help…"

"I get it," Ron said in a dangerously low voice, his eyes becoming darker still and his mouth curling with hatred. "You choose him."

_Come on, come on, don't leave me like this__  
><em>_I thought I had you figured out_

Hermione had thought she had Ron had reached somewhere new in their relationship. They trusted each other a lot better, he was the only one she told her true thoughts to about the horcrux hunt, the only one who she could discuss her parents with, the only one who didn't need to ask why she was upset sometimes, he just knew. All those talks haunted Hermione's dreams the nights after Ron left, they swirled around her head, taunting her with what had been. But every morning when she woke up and saw his empty bed, she knew she must have been mistaken, their relationship hadn't moved forward, it had fallen apart.

_Something's gone terribly wrong__  
><em>_You're all I wanted_

It had all gone wrong, everything. She had lost nearly all that she loved: Her parents, her education, her homes, Professor McGonagall, the Weasleys, Luna, Neville, Ginny. And now she had lost Ron too, and the problem was he was all she really wanted. She wanted the annoying child she had met when she was young, she wanted the argumentative teenager she had laughed with through her schooling, she wanted the sweet, loving man she had met this summer. She loved him, that was all there to it.

_Come on, come on, don't leave me like this__  
><em>_I thought I had you figured out__  
><em>_Can't breathe whenever you're gone__  
><em>_Can't turn back now__  
><em>_I'm haunted_

Hermione felt as if her throat were blocked by a boulder, her head felt like it was permanently under water as she tried, unsuccessfully to carry on with her day to day motions. She knew she had to try and get past this, but she just couldn't stop thinking about him. She couldn't turn away from the fact that she loved him.

_Stood there and watched you walk away_

_From everything we had_

Hermione hurried after him, slipping in the muddy, wet ground beneath her feet. She could only just make out his silhouette in the dark, through the rain.

"Ron," She half yelled, half sobbed. She hadn't realised she had begun to cry. "Ron, please!"

He made to indication that he had heard her, just carried on storming through the trees. Hermione could barely breathe through the lump in her throat and could barely see through the downpour that was beating painfully on her head.

"RON!" She screamed, disregarding any calmness she had left, "Ron, come back please, PLEASE!"

He stopped. Hermione's heart leapt and she hurried faster towards him. He had changed his mind, it was going to be alright. Now she could see him turning and she ran faster still, almost falling over in her desperate effort to reach him. But he didn't stop when he had faced her, he carried on turning, and Hermione only caught a flash of his face still etched with anger, before he disappeared into the night.

_But I still mean every word I said to you_

When she thought of him, which in the weeks that followed his departure was very often, she had swings between utter sadness and complete anger. The locket only made it a hundred times worse.

'_You still love him, you love a boy who abandoned you. How pathetic and weak to love a boy who doesn't care whether you live or die,'_

Hermione tried her best to block it out but she couldn't because she knew that everything it was saying was true. When she took the locket off she could still feel that she loved him through her anger and her hurt.

_He will try to take away my pain and he just might make me smile__  
><em>_But the whole time I'm wishing he was you instead_

Hermione could tell that Harry was trying his best to help her, even though he was hurting so much himself. He made sure that during the day the conversation on possible horcrux locations never dwindled, despite the fact they were talking in endless circles. As weeks passed, they began to talk about other things. In the evenings they would sometimes discuss Neville, Luna and Ginny and how they seemed to be doing their best to continue Dumbledore's army. Hermione knew the topic hurt them both as Harry desperately wanted to see Ginny and they both thought of Ron whenever she was mentioned. Despite this Hermione appreciated his efforts, Harry was a very good friend. But Hermione couldn't help wishing sometimes, that she could spend those cold evenings with Ron instead, because without him she felt as if she were still living, but every single light had been switched off and she was stumbling alone through the darkness.

_Oh, holding my breath__  
><em>_Won't see you again__  
><em>_Something keeps me holding onto nothing_

In some small part of Hermione, buried deep down beneath her practical thoughts, was hope. She still hoped that Ron would return. Everything reminded her of him, from food to her books to just glancing at his constantly empty bed. She didn't know why she still held on to this hope, she knew that Ron couldn't return, it was impossible. But she couldn't help it, every time she woke up, she still hoped he would be there.

_I know, I know__  
><em>_I just know__  
><em>_You're not gone__  
><em>_You can't be gone__  
><em>_No_

Mostly, she dreamt of him. Sometimes he returned, begging for forgiveness and sometimes he had never left. It was impossible to admit to herself that he would never come back because it was Ron, _Ron. _The boy who, however many fights they had together, had always come back to her whether it was sulky or happy he would still return. Her brain refused to believe that this situation would be any different. Ron always came back.

_Come on, come on, don't leave me like this__  
><em>_I thought I had you figured out__  
><em>_Something's gone terribly wrong__  
><em>_Won't finish what you started_

What had started before this hunt for the horcuxes? What had it meant when Ron had held her at the funeral? What had it meant when he had danced with her all night at the wedding? What had it meant when he had held her hand to fall asleep? What had it meant when he had offered to risk his own safety to save her status as a muggleborn? Hermione had held out a hope that it meant he felt the same way about her as she did about him. But now he was gone, whatever he had started he had left her before it had had a chance to finish.

_Come on, come on, don't leave me like this__  
><em>_I thought I had you figured out__  
><em>_Can't breathe whenever you're gone__  
><em>_I can't go back__  
><em>_I'm haunted_

Days turned to weeks as the rains were replaced by frosts and snow and Christmas trees could be seen twinkling in windows. Ever so slowly, Hermione's hope began to fade. But she still couldn't stop loving him, that seemed as if it would never fade.

_You and I walk a fragile line__  
><em>_I have known it all this time__  
><em>_But I never thought I'd see it break__  
><em>_Never thought I'd see it_

"_Hermione_!"

Hermione sat bolt upright at the sound of Harry's voice, hurridley pushing her hair out of her eyes and she whilred around to try to locate Harry.

"What's wrong? Harry? Are you alright?"

"It's okay, everything's fine. More than fine. I'm great. There's someone here…"

Hermione's sleep tired brain tried to process what Harry was saying.

"What do you mean? Who…?"

Then she saw him. Ron Weasley was standing in the middle of the tent. Hermione was barely consious of getting out of her bunk and crossing the floor, all she was aware of was that Ron was standing in the tent. Ron had come back. She couldn't quite believe it, wouldn't let herself believe it. But here he was, right in front of her. Ron half raised his arms and Hermione felt the amazed trance she had been in snap. Something reared inside of her and she threw herself at him, drawing back her fists and punching every single part of him she could reach.

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><p>Thank God she punched him at the end, she was beginning to sound like Bella Swan! Anyway I hope you enjoyed this, I know it's been done lots already (4 times actually, I went and counted) But hopefully you'll like my take on it as there are some very good ones out there to compete with. If any one is interested I've written two other RonHermione song-fics, both of which have deathly hallows moments in. One is called 'Between the lines' and is about their relationship over the years and I wrote a paragraph about just after Ron disaperates. The other is called 'All I need' and is Ron's PoV from a big chunk of DH. Anyway thanks again for reading and please review.

Hannah x


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